Case against torture slaying suspect goes to jury

Posted: Tue 9:48 PM, Oct 27, 2009

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The case against the alleged leader inthe torture slaying of a young Knoxville couple went to the juryTuesday with the defense trying to poke holes in a mountain ofcircumstantial evidence. Lemaricus Davidson, 28, faced 38 counts including kidnapping,theft, rape and murder in the January 2007 carjacking deaths ofUniversity of Tennessee student Channon Christian, 21, and herboyfriend Christopher Newsom, 23. The counts were consolidated froman original 46. The sequestered jury deliberated more than four hours without averdict and will resume work Wednesday. The prosecution intends toseek the death penalty if Davidson is convicted. Davidson's lawyer David Eldridge acknowledged in closingarguments that his client was a drug dealer, that he lied to policeafter his arrest and that he had sex with Christian. Yet Eldridge said there's reasonable doubt Davidson committed acrime, blaming instead Davidson's three co-defendants, whom hecalled "the gang from Kentucky." He claimed the prosecutionoffered a "made up story" to link Davidson to the rapes, beatingsand killings that occurred within hours or days of the carjacking. "This is real life. So we can't tell you a story like you wouldfind on a 'Law & Order' episode ... (that) happened in a nicelittle package," prosecutor Leland Price acknowledged. The only ones who could say for certain what happened areChristian and Newsom, and "Davidson made sure they were silencedforever, that they would never talk again," Price said. But, looking to the jury, the prosecutor said, "You know enoughto know ... these were his victims." Eldridge suggested the clean-cut couple may have come toDavidson to buy drugs, while prosecutors say they were randomvictims ambushed by gun-wielding men in an apartment parking lotwhile on a date. The case has touched a racial nerve because the defendants areblack and the victims were white. A prosecution staffer faintedduring the medical examiner's testimony on the gruesome slayings,and death threats against the defense attorneys are beinginvestigated by the FBI. Davidson was captured five days after the carjacking in anabandoned house 10 minutes from his rental house, where Christian'sbody was found stuffed in a trash can. His fingerprints were on thegarbage bags around her body, his DNA was in her genitals and hissemen was on her pants, experts testified. He was caught with a .22-caliber revolver similar to theunconfirmed weapon used to kill Newsom, whose nude, shot body wasset on fire along railroad tracks about 100 yards from Davidson'shouse. Davidson was caught with Newsom's $136 silver athletic shoes.Witnesses saw him wearing the shoes even though they were severalsizes too small. Price called them "part of the reward he got forkilling Chris Newsom." Police were led to Davidson's house after Christian's abandonedToyota 4-Runner was found in his neighborhood and Davidson'sfingerprint was discovered on a bank statement in the otherwisewiped-down vehicle. Davidson's former girlfriend, Daphne Sutton, testified that theday after the carjacking she saw him driving the SUV, he gave hersome of Christian's clothes and he prevented her from entering abedroom at his house where Christian was being held and laterkilled. The suspects implicated each other. Davidson's brother, LetalvisCobbins, testified at his trial in August that Davidson was theringleader who carried out the carjacking and choked Christianbefore putting her in the trash can, where she suffocated. Davidson told police that Cobbins and co-defendant George Thomascarjacked the couple, that Thomas shot Newsom with Davidson's gunand that Christian was still alive when Davidson left his house.Davidson declined to testify at his own trial. Cobbins was convicted by a jury brought from Nashville, to avoidpretrial publicity, on murder and related counts and sentenced tolife in prison without parole. Thomas will get a jury fromChattanooga when he is tried in December. Davidson requested alocal panel. No trial date has been set for the fourth defendant,Cobbins' girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman. Cobbins, Thomas and Colemanwere all from Lebanon, Ky. A fifth defendant, Eric Boyd of Knoxville, has been convicted infederal court of being an accessory after the fact for hidingDavidson and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

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